Selena Gomez
Selena Marie Gomez (born July 22, 1992) is an American actress & singer-songwriter. Having appeared as a child in the children's television series, (2000-2002). Selena rose to fame as the leading role in the Disney channel series, (2007-2012). Due to the success of the series, she worked on various films, television shows, and musical collaborations for the network in the following years. She signed a recording contract with in 2008, and subsequently formed her band, the following year. The band released three studio albums by 2011, each of which sold over one million copies worldwide. Gomez hoped to focus on her acting career by transitioning into film work, earning starring roles in films such as (2010) and the romantic comedy, (2011). Gomez hoped to achieve a more mature image with a role in the exploitation film, (2013), as well as with the release of her solo debut album, (2013). The album debuted atop the Billboard 200 in the United States, and included "". Gomez embarked on her (2013), though it was later cancelled due to personal and medical struggles. In 2014, she fired her parents as her managers, and signed with the WME and Brillstein companies. During this time, she signed a new recording contract with , releasing a compilation album as her fifth and final release through Hollywood Records. Gomez released her second studio album, , in October 2015. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, while the first three singles all topped the Mainstream Top 40 chart in the United States. She embarked on her worldwide in 2016. Gomez is currently working on her third studio album. Gomez has branched out from entertainment, releasing her own clothing line through Kmart in 2010 and a self-titled fragrance in 2013. Gomez formed her own production company in 2008, titled July Moon Productions; she is set to produce the Netflix original series, 13 Reasons Why. She has been involved in for years through charity work for various social and environmental causes, most notably became a ambassador at the age of seventeen. Since the start of her career, Gomez has went on to sell over 6.7 million albums and 22 million singles worldwide, according to Billboard. Gomez has earned a number of awards and nominations for her work as an actress and singer, and has won an ALMA Award, a MTV Video Music Award, a Billboard Women in Music award, an iHeartRadio Music Award, two People's Choice Awards and twelve Teen Choice Awards. 1992–2006: Early life and career beginnings Selena Marie Gomez was born in on July 22, 1992, to Ricardo Joel Gomez and former stage actress Amanda Dawn "Mandy" Cornett. Gomez was named after singer and actress , who died in 1995. Her father is of Mexican descent while her mother, who was adopted, has some Italian ancestry. Regarding her Hispanic heritage, Gomez has stated, "My family does have , and we go to the communion church. We do everything that's Catholic, but we don't really have anything traditional except we go to the park and have barbecues on Sundays after church." Gomez's parents divorced when she was five years old, and she remained with her mother. Gomez has two siblings. Her sister, Gracie Elliot Teefey, was born to Amanda and her second husband Brian Teefey on June 12, 2013. Gomez has a second sister, Victoria "Tori" Gomez, born to Ricardo and his wife Sara on June 25, 2014. She earned a high school diploma through homeschooling in May 2010. When Gomez was born, her mother was sixteen years old. The family had financial troubles during Gomez's childhood, with her mother struggling to provide for the pair. At one point, Gomez recalled the pair had to search for quarters just to get gas for their car. Her mother later recalled the two would frequently walk to their local dollar store to purchase spaghetti for dinner, though got by. Gomez stated, "I was frustrated that my parents weren't together, and never saw the light at the end of the tunnel where my mom was working hard to provide a better life for me. I'm terrified of what I would have become if I'd stayed Texas." She later added that "mom was really strong around me. Having me at 16 had to have been a big responsibility. She gave up everything for me, had three jobs, supported me sacrificed her life for me." Gomez had a close relationship with her grandparents as a child, and appeared in various pageants growing up. Her grandparents often took care of Selena while her parents finished their schooling, and the pair went as far as stating that they "raised her" up until she found success in the entertainment industry. Gomez first gained an interest in pursuing a career in the entertainment industry watching her mother prepare for stage productions. She began auditioning for various roles, meeting during an audition for .'' Both girls were later selected to appear on the series in 2002, with Gomez portraying the character of Gianna. The show was her first experience in acting, with Gomez recalling, "I was very shy when I was little ... I didn't know what 'camera right' was. I didn't know what blocking was. I learned everything from ''." Gomez appeared in fourteen episodes of the show between 2002 and 2004, though the show's producers released her as she was getting "too old" for the series. While working on the series, Gomez had a cameo role in the film (2003) and the made-for-television film (2005). With experience now under her belt, Gomez auditioned for roles under the company along with Lovato. Gomez made a guest appearance in a 2006 episode of the Disney series . 2007–2012: Breakthrough with Disney and Selena Gomez & the Scene Gomez was given a recurring role on the popular Disney Channel series in 2007, portraying pop star Mikayla. During this time, Gomez filmed pilot episodes for two potential Disney Channel series; the first, titled Arwin!, a spin-off of the Suite Life series, while the second was a spin-off of the series .'' She later auditioned for a role in the Disney series , ultimately winning the lead role of . Upon receiving the role, Gomez and her mother moved to Hollywood; Lovato and her family also moved to Hollywood, hoping to achieve similar success to Gomez. ''Wizards of Waverly Place saw Gomez portraying a teenage girl in a family of wizards who own a restaurant in New York. The series quickly became a hit for the network, propelling Gomez to more mainstream success. The series received numerous nominations and awards. Gomez recorded the theme song for the series, titled "Everything is Not What It Seems." Gomez briefly dated fellow Disney star in 2008. Gomez later appeared in the music video for the song "", which the had recorded and released, and later, she also appeared in an episode of the reality series .'' Gomez at the 2009 Hollywood Style Awards in While working on the second season of ''Wizards of Waverly Place, Gomez appeared on the Disney Channel special alongside various other Disney stars. She contributed a cover of the song "" to the compilation album , and later recorded the original song "Fly to Your Heart" for the soundtrack of the animated film .'' She had a leading role, as an aspiring dancer, in the musical film that same year. The film was released to generally positive reviews, and won the 2010 for Children's script-long form or special. Gomez recorded three songs for the soundtrack, and released one of them, "", as a promotional single. Later that year, Gomez had the supporting role of Helga in the animated film The film was a commercial success, and went on to gross nearly three hundred million dollars worldwide. At 16 years of age, Gomez was signed to a recording contract with the label, which had already signed both Cyrus and Lovato. Gomez formed her own production company in 2008, which she called July Moon Productions. She partnered with XYZ Films for the project, giving Gomez the opportunity to option articles, hire writers and create talent packages to shop to studios. Gomez was slated to release two films under the company. The first, titled ''What Boys Want, with Gomez as a girl who could hear the thoughts of men. She later announced the film Thirteen Reasons Why, in which she was to play a young girl who commits suicide; ultimately, neither film was released. Gomez continued to have mainstream success throughout the following year, appearing as Alex Russo in a crossover episode of the Disney series . She later made a guest appearance on the Disney series , starring Lovato. She appeared in a remix of the 's single "", released as a single in April of that year. Gomez, along with Lovato, starred in the Disney Channel film , which aired in June 2009. The film was a critical success, and had a total of 8.5 million viewers during its premiere. For the film, Gomez and Lovato recorded the song "One and the Same", which was later released as a promotional single. She later provided the voice of Princess Selenia in the animated film .'' On August 28, 2009, Gomez starred in , a television film based on the series. The film premiered to an audience of 11.4 million viewers becoming cable's No. 1 scripted telecast of 2009 and Disney Channel's second most-viewed film premiere after ''. The film won the series its second consecutive Emmy for "Outstanding Children's Program" at the . Hoping to achieve a successful crossover into music, Gomez formed the pop-rock band through her record deal with Hollywood Records. The name of the band is an "ironic jab" at the people who called Gomez a "wannabe ." The group released their in August 2009., which debuted at number nine on the albums chart in the United States, with first-week sales of 66,000 copies. The album received a mixed reception, some critics praised the album for its "fun" nature, while others criticized Gomez for her vocal performance. The lead single failed to have commercial success, however the second single was successful. With heavy promotion through Disney and performances, the song had success on radio and with sales. In 2010, Gomez starred as one of the two female leads in , a film adaption of by . The film premiered on July 23, 2010, and it was met with generally positive reviews. Selena Gomez & the Scene released their second studio album that same year., which debuted on the US Billboard 200 at number 4 with sales of a little over 66,000. The album received mixed to positive reviews where some noticed that Gomez's vocals contained the effect. The record's two singles both achieved moderate success. Having previously announced plans to launch a fashion line, Gomez launched Dream Out Loud by Selena Gomez in 2010. The collection consisted of, and featured, dresses, floral tops, jeans, skirts, jackets, scarves and hats, all of which were made from recycled or materials. Gomez stated, "With my line, I really want to give the customer options on how they can put their own looks together ... I want the pieces that can be easy to dress up or down, and the fabrics being eco-friendly and organic is super important ... Also, the tags will all have some of my inspirational quotes on them. I'm just looking to send a good message." To design the actual items, Gomez teamed up with designers Tony Melillo and Sandra Campos, both of whom had previously worked with . Melillo and Campos teamed with New York-based Adjmi Apparel to manufacture the brand, which was formed by Adjmi CH Brands LLC, the holding company for the brand. In 2011, Gomez starred in the film . Her character Grace is teenager "mistaken for a socialite while on a trip to Paris." To prepare for the role, Gomez learned how to play and also took two weeks of vocal training to learn two different British accents. She also began a relationship with that year, which lasted until 2014. Gomez appeared in a cameo role in the film and appeared in the Disney shows and .'' Selena Gomez & the Scene released their third and final studio album that same year. The album received mixed reviews, with the album's second single receiving a 4x Platinum certification from the RIAA. However, the album's lead single and last single both achieved moderate success. It was announced on July 14, 2011, that Gomez had signed a license agreement with Adrenalina, an extreme sports and adventure-themed lifestyle brand, to develop, manufacture, and distribute the actress's fragrance. Chairman and C.E.O. of Adrenalina, , said, "We are incredibly enthused to be working with Ms. Gomez and will reveal more details pertaining to the fragrance as we get closer to the launch date." The perfume was released in May 2012. 2012–2014: Solo musical debut and personal struggles Gomez confirmed in January 2012 that she would be taking a break from her music career, thus placing Selena Gomez & the Scene on an ongoing hiatus. That year, ''Wizards of Waverly Place officially ended its run on the Disney Channel after four successful seasons. Gomez hoped to focus on her film career outside of Disney, and starred alongside and in the animated film (2012). The film premiered at the and was released on September 28, 2012. Gomez had a role in the controversial exploitation film (2013), starring . The film saw Gomez in a more mature role than her previous works, and reportedly led to Gomez having a "bit of a meltdown on set." In 2013, Gomez starred in the film , alongside . The film was a critical and commercial failure, and earned Gomez a nomination for Worst Actress at the . She also starred in the Disney Channel special in 2013. Gomez performing during the (2013) Despite her earlier claims that she would be taking a break from her music career, Gomez confirmed in October 2012 that she was working on new material. She later confirmed that she would be releasing her solo debut album, as opposed to another album with her band. Gomez released "" as the lead single from the album. The single became Gomez's first top ten entry on the . was released on July 23, 2013. It became her first album to debut at number one on the US chart, where it sold 97,000 copies in its first week. It was Gomez's first No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The album remained in the top ten in its second week, though declined down the chart in the following weeks. The record was met with mixed reviews where some music critics noticed her inability to create her own musical identity and her lack of vocal abilities "doesn't help." Gomez incorporated choreography and dance routines into her promotional performances and music videos for the album, feeling inspired by artists such as and . As of September 2015, the album has sold 392,000 copies in the United States, making it her lowest selling studio album to date in the country. It remains her only studio effort to not receive a certification from the (RIAA). Gomez embarked on her on August 14, 2013. After touring in North America and Europe, the tour was set to continue throughout 2014, though Gomez cancelled the Australian and Asian leg of the tour in December 2013, claiming that she would be taking a hiatus to spend time with her family. In January 2014, it was reported that Gomez had spent two weeks at Dawn at The Meadows, which is a treatment center in that specializes in treating addiction and trauma in young people. Her representative stated that she had spent time there "voluntarily ... but not for substance abuse." Despite initially neglecting to comment, Gomez confirmed in 2015 that she had been diagnosed with the auto-immune disease, , and that she had cancelled the tour and entered rehab to undergo . Gomez appeared in the film (2014) with and . The project, filmed prior to Gomez's stint in rehab, was released in August 2014 to a generally negative critical and commercial reception. Even the author of the original autobiographical novel, has disavowed the film. She later appeared in the film (2014), the directorial debut of . The independent film received a mixed reception from critics. In April of that year, it was reported that Gomez had fired her mother and stepfather as her managers; the two had managed Gomez since her career began. Gomez later signed with the WME and Brillstein companies to manage her career. The news of Gomez's new management also fueled rumors that her recording contract with Hollywood Records was ending, and that Gomez was searching for a new label. Gomez surprise released her new single "" (2014) on November 6, and confirmed after months of speculation that she would be releasing a compilation album as a means of finishing out her contract with Hollywood Records. The single went on to become her second top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and sold over one million copies in the United States. Gomez released her first solo compilation album, (2014), on November 24. The album received minimal promotion and failed to achieve much commercial success, selling 35,506 equivalent album units in the United States during its first week of release, and entered the Billboard 200 at number twenty-four. Gomez officially signed a recording contract with in December 2014. 2015–2016: Revival and hiatus While working on her second studio album, Gomez collaborated with for his single "" (2015), released as the lead single from his sophomore album on February 23. The single became Gomez's fourth top twenty entry on the Billboard Hot 100, and received a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Gomez became the face of haircare brand in 2015. Gomez released "" (2015) as the lead single from her second studio album on June 22, 2015; the single features rapper . The song sold 179,000 copies in its first week of release alone, and went on to become her first top five single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. The single became her first to top the chart. In August 2015, Gomez appeared in the documentary among many other actors and actresses. She reprised the role of Mavis in , which was released on September 25; the film was met with a positive critical and commercial reception upon its release. Gomez released her second studio album, (2015), on October 9, 2015. The album was met with a positive reaction from critics, who praised the album's production and lyrical content. The album debuted at number one on the , with first-week sales of 117,000 equivalent album units. This remains Gomez's highest first week sales to date. "" (2015) was released as the album's second single, and went on to top the Mainstream Top 40 chart. The single peaked at number five on the , tying with "Good for You" as her highest charting effort. "" was the album's third single, which became her third consecutive number one on the Mainstream Top 40 chart. This made Gomez one of only six female artists to have three singles from the same album top the chart. Gomez had a cameo role in the film , which was released on December 11 by . She was the musical guest on the January 23, 2016 episode of , with host . Gomez embarked on her worldwide (2016) on May 6. Gomez claimed that the tour would focus solely on her as an artist, thus features less choreography and effects as her previous tour. After touring in North America, Asia and Oceania, she cancelled the European and South America leg of the tour in August 2016 due to anxiety, panic attacks and depression caused by her lupus. Gomez had a supporting role in the comedy film ; she portrayed the president of a sorority. Her collaboration with , Charlie Puth "We Don't Talk Anymore" (2016), reached the top ten in the United States. Gomez starred in the drama film , alongside , which was premiered at the on January 29, 2016. The film was released on June 24. It was met with a mixed critical reception. She also starred in with ; the film was released on 3 September 2016. Gomez has begun working on her third studio album while touring, and added a new song titled "Feel Me" to the setlist of her Revival Tour. The song leaked online nine months after the first performance. The album, which currently has no title or release date, will be her second release through Interscope Records. Following the cancellation of her tour, Gomez rechecked into rehab to focus on her mental health and was noticeably absent from social media. She made her first public appearance at the 2016 American Music Awards, where she was nominated for two awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist and Artist of the Year. She further went on to win the award for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist. 2017: Third solo studio album and Thirteen Reasons Why On February 4, 2017, Gomez posted a snippet of a new song on her story. On February 9, 2017, Norwegian DJ posted a snippet of his collaboration with Gomez. Gomez and Kygo officially confirmed the single titled "", via their social media accounts on February 13, 2017, which was released on February 16, 2017. In October 2015 had announced they would create a miniseries adaptation of the book , with Gomez as the executive producer. Gomez shared the first trailer of the show on 25 January 2017. The show is set to premiere on Netflix on 31 March 2017. Filmography Selena Gomez/Gallery ]] Gomez Gomez Gomez Gomez Gomez Category:People born in Texas Gomez Gomez Gomez Gomez Gomez Gomez Gomez Gomez